Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately a quarter of a linear foot of materials accumulated by Captain James Cunliffe while serving with the 517th Engineer Detachment (Terrain) attached to II Field Force Headquarters at the Plantation, RVN during 1969. The materials include Notice sur la Feuille de Saigon; Hydrology of Cam Ranh Peninsula by Dr. William Rasmussen; clippings; 517th Engineer Detachment (Terrain) II Field Force Vietnam Quarterly Operation Report; booklets; images; Hydrology of South Viet Nam by Dr. William Rasmussen; Rasmussen's obituary; The United States Army in South Vietnam (DA pamphlet 360-234); and reports on the geology of South Vietnam. The materials are dated 1962-1970.

Biographical / Historical

Captain James Cunliffe was born in 1943 in Newark, NJ. He joined the ROTC program while attending Rutgers University and served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1968-1969. In 1969, he served with the 517th Engineer Detachment, II Field Force stationed at the Plantation (II Field Force Headquarters) near Long Binh. He received the Bronze Star during his service. He was honorably discharged from active duty in February 1970 at the rank of Captain and then entered the reserves.

Following his military service, Capt. Cunliffe went to graduate school at Rutgers University to study geology. He then went to work for several oil companies in Tulsa and Dallas.